George S. Greene

George Sears Greene (6 May 1801-28 January 1899) was a Brigadier-General of the US Army during the American Civil War. Greene, who came from a distinguished family, himself earned distinction as a successful engineer, and he served as a Brigadier-General in the Union's army during the Civil War.

Biography
George Sears Greene was born in Apponaug, Rhode Island on 6 May 1801, the second cousin of the American Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene and the descendant of the prominent Greene family. He graduated from West Point in 1823, placing second in his class. Greene served in the US Army as a military engineer until 1836, when he became involved in civilian engineering projects. He founded the American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects in 1852, and he was responsible for building numerous railroads and aqueducts. After 25 years as a civilian, he rejoined the army when the American Civil War broke out, becoming a colonel of New York volunteers. He fought in northern Virginia, Antietam, and Chancellorsville, and he distinguished himself by defending the Union right flank at Culp's Hill during the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. He later served in the west and in the south, ending the war in North Carolina. After the war, he returned to his engineering career, and he died in Morristown, New Jersey in 1899 at the age of 97.